# Thailand Commerce Family Intake Pack

A practical pack for collecting real product data before buying stock. Focus: floating-market woven bags, gift bundles, pouches, and stationery.

**MVP rule:** collect photos, videos, prices, and seller details first. Avoid bulk buying until quality, UK pricing, postage, and repeat supply are checked.

**Avoid:** branded/copyright characters, fake designer styles, food, cosmetics, toys, electricals, supplements, medicines, alcohol, or anything with health/medical claims.

## 1. WhatsApp message templates

### First message to family
Hi! We’re testing a small UK online shop idea for Thai market products. Please don’t buy lots yet — we only need photos, short videos, prices, and seller details first.

Best things to look for:
1. woven / straw / rattan / water-hyacinth bags
2. small pouches or travel organisers
3. scarf + scrunchie + pouch bundles
4. handmade paper / Saa paper stationery gift sets

Please avoid anything with brand logos, Disney/cartoon characters, fake designer styles, food, cosmetics, toys, or electrical items.

If you see a good item, please send the photos/videos below plus the price in THB. Thank you ❤️

### Product info request
For this item, can you send please:
- price for 1 piece
- price for 5 / 10 / 20 pieces if available
- exact size or photo next to your hand/bottle/phone
- material if the seller knows it
- colours available
- whether the seller can get more next week/month
- seller name/location/contact if they are happy to share
- any defects: bad stitching, weak zip, loose strap, smell, colour rub, sharp edges

### Permission to film vendor/stall
Before filming, please ask politely if it is okay to take photos/videos for a small UK online shop test. If they say no, no problem — just send product photos away from the stall if allowed.

### Hold-before-buying message
This looks promising. Please do not buy bulk yet. If possible, buy only 1 sample or hold the seller details. We need to check UK selling price, postage, quality, and repeat supply first.

### Best sample buy message
If the quality feels good and the price is sensible, please buy 1 sample only. Try to choose the cleanest/best-finished one. Please keep the receipt or note the exact cash price.

### Quick rejection message
Let’s skip this one for now because it has one of the risk flags: logo/character, too fragile, too heavy, too expensive, poor stitching/zip, strong smell, no repeat supply, or seller won’t allow basic product info.

## 2. Photo and video shot checklist

### Required photos
- front view on plain background
- back view
- inside/lining/closure view
- close-up of stitching, zip, handle, strap, or paper texture
- scale shot next to hand, phone, A4 paper, bottle, or ruler
- all colour/pattern options together if available
- tag/label/material note
- defect photo if there is any issue

### Required videos
- 5–8 sec: product held in hand, slow turn front/back
- 5–8 sec: open/close test, zip/strap/handle test, or pages turning for stationery
- 5–10 sec: market/stall atmosphere, only if vendor agrees
- 5–8 sec: “what fits inside” for bags/pouches if practical

### Helpful extras
- seller explaining material or handmade process
- product packed flat or stacked
- 5–10 units together to show consistency
- family member modelling bag for scale

## 3. Product scoring sheet fields

Use these fields in a note, spreadsheet, or product database. Score 1 = poor, 3 = okay, 5 = excellent.

| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Product ID | Temporary code, e.g. BAG-001, POUCH-003 |
| Product family | Woven bag / bundle / pouch / stationery |
| Product name | Simple descriptive name |
| Source location | Floating market / town / stall name |
| Seller contact | Name, phone/Line/Facebook if permitted |
| Unit cost THB | Price for one |
| Bulk price THB | Price for 5 / 10 / 20 |
| Minimum order | Minimum quantity seller expects |
| Repeat supply | Can they get more weekly/monthly? yes/no/unknown |
| Materials | Seller-stated materials; write unsure if unknown |
| Dimensions | Height x width x depth in cm |
| Weight | Approx grams if possible |
| Colours/variants | Available options |
| Quality score | 1–5: stitching, finish, neatness |
| Practicality score | 1–5: useful, easy to carry/use/gift |
| Packability score | 1–5: light, flat, not fragile |
| Content score | 1–5: visually interesting for TikTok/Instagram |
| Giftability score | 1–5: feels like a nice present |
| Uniqueness score | 1–5: not easy to find in UK shops |
| Compliance risk | Low / medium / high; high = do not buy |
| Red flags | Logos, fake brand, smell, weak zip, rough edges, fragile, heavy |
| Target UK retail | Rough expected UK selling price |
| Estimated postage | UK postage estimate if known |
| Sample bought? | yes/no |
| Final action | Skip / sample / negotiate / shortlist |

### Quick scoring rule
- 22+ out of 30 across quality, practicality, packability, content, giftability, uniqueness = strong sample candidate.
- Any serious compliance/IP risk = skip even if it looks popular.
- Heavy, fragile, bulky, or inconsistent handmade items need extra caution.

## 4. Category checks

### Floating-market woven bags
Look for neat weaving, strong handles, no mould/smell, no sharp fibres, good lining/closure, secure straps, and no fake designer shapes/logos.

Best first samples:
- mini crossbody / phone bag
- small tote
- beach/market basket that packs reasonably
- colourful handle/strap variants

Questions:
- What plant/fibre is it made from?
- Is the strap included?
- Can they supply the same shape again?
- Does it shed fibres or smell damp?
- Can it be packed flat without damage?

### Gift bundles
Bundle idea: small woven bag or pouch + scarf/scrunchie + note card. Do not buy bundle components in bulk until each component passes separately.

Check colour matching, colour transfer, textile smell, pouch zip quality, and whether the bundle fits in a small parcel box or large letter.

### Pouches
Look for smooth zip, straight seams, lining, clean inside, no fake logos, and useful sizes for passport, makeup, or cables.

Best first samples:
- passport/travel pouch
- cable pouch
- small gift pouch
- matching pouch add-on for bags

### Stationery
Look for handmade paper cards, notebooks, envelopes, gift tags, and mini sets. Avoid copyrighted prints/characters and items that bend too easily without protective packaging.

Check paper shedding, page alignment, binding/glue quality, set consistency, and whether it can be packed with board backing.

## 5. First sourcing-trip brief

### Goal
Collect enough real data to choose 3–5 sample products, not to buy stock. Spend small, learn fast.

### Target places
- floating market stalls with woven bags and pouches
- handmade craft stalls
- stationery/paper stalls
- small local makers who can repeat supply

### What to bring
- phone with battery pack
- tape measure or ruler
- small luggage scale if available
- plain tote or sheet for clean product background
- notes app/spreadsheet
- cash for only a few samples

### Time plan
1. 15 min: walk the market once, do not buy yet.
2. 45–60 min: shortlist products and record prices/photos.
3. 30 min: revisit best 3–5 sellers and ask repeat-supply/bulk-price questions.
4. Final 20 min: buy only the strongest 1–3 samples if needed.

### Sample-buy rules
Buy only if:
- no logos/fake brand/copyright character
- quality feels good in hand
- seller can explain price and repeat supply
- product is light and not fragile
- photos/videos are good enough for UK test content
- estimated UK retail can be at least 3x–4x Thai unit cost before postage/import/fees

### Stop signs
Do not buy if:
- seller pressures for bulk order
- product has fake designer/character branding
- stitching/zip/strap looks weak
- product smells damp/chemical
- item is too big, fragile, or heavy
- seller cannot repeat supply
- price is only cheap for very large quantities

## 6. Minimum data to send back per shortlisted item

```text
Product code:
Market/stall:
Seller contact if allowed:
Product type:
Price for 1:
Price for 5/10/20:
Size:
Weight if known:
Material:
Colours:
Can repeat supply? yes/no/unknown:
Quality score 1–5:
Packability score 1–5:
Content score 1–5:
Red flags:
Sample bought? yes/no:
Photos/videos sent? yes/no:
```

## 7. Alex-side decision after data comes in

For each candidate, decide:
- **Skip:** risk, quality, or margin does not work.
- **Sample:** buy/ship 1–3 units for UK content and postage test.
- **Test post:** use photos/videos to run audience vote before ordering.
- **Negotiate:** ask for 10–20 unit quote only after content interest is proven.

Recommended MVP: shortlist 10–15 products from the first trip, buy 3–5 samples maximum, then test UK interest with posts/polls before ordering any repeat stock.